Forum

OUR FORUM IS UP BUT WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF UPDATING AND FIXING THINGS.  SOME THINGS WILL LOOK WEIRD AND/OR NOT BE CORRECT. YOUR PATIENCE IS APPRECIATED.  We are not fully ready to answer questions in a timely manner as we are not officially open, but we will do our best. 

You may have received a 2-factor authentication (2FA) email from us on 4/21/2020. That was from us, but was premature as the login was not working at that time. 

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately! Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

What are we about?  Please read about our Forum Culture and check out the Rules

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum HABITATS AND TOYS habitat suggestions

Viewing 9 reply threads
  • Author
    Messages

    • aadwoods
      Participant
      11 posts Send Private Message

        So I just wanted to get some suggestions or tips on Luna’s cage, layout, toys etc. We got her a nice big cage with the plastic bottom. She has a little platform that she can get up on, and underneath she has a towel that she likes to burry/sleep in.

         

        We have a corner litter box. As she gets bigger we will probably have to get a bigger one huh? I keep her timothy hay feeder by the litter box and put some hay in the box too. I read that they like to eat while taking care of business! And she mostly goes in the box, which is good! We also dump it out every day so it’s nice and clean for her.

        She has a tunnel that came with some soft bedding material that she likes to burry and move around.

        She also really likes these wicker balls with nuts in them that she can chew up and then gnaw on the nuts too. We give her a bowl of fresh greens every night and she has a bowl of pellets too.

        I keep two water bottles up, even though she prefers the big one to the little one, just in case. We put clean water in every other day.

        Any tips or suggestions are appreciated. I’m currently shopping around for a playpen type thing so I can let her out more and know she is safe. I don’t quite have the room fully bunny proofed so I’m too afraid to leave her out alone yet. Any suggestions in that area would be appreciated too. I would like something I can set up in the house and then next summer when she’s big enough I can set up in the yard. Right now she’s so little I’m too afraid to take her outside. She might get carried off by one of the red tail hawks or owls we have in the woods behind the house.

         

        Thanks so much!


      • Pipje
        Participant
        73 posts Send Private Message

          Cute bunny! It looks like you love her a lot, but I have a few suggestions.

          Those store bought cages aren’t really big enough for a bunny, especially when she grows. It might seem big to you in terms of the cages they sell in stores, but that is what is wrong with the pet industry.. I have a cage that is the same and we just used it as a “home base” and attached a pen to it.

          When you get your xpen you can attach that to the front of the cage, put down something like linoleum as a floor and allow her to live freely in that area. You may need to cover the cage door in carpet or a towel to make it safe for climbling in and out. It’s just so much better and she will have more room for a bigger litterbox (which she might need, I know mine did) and room to run and binky. I don’t know how much you know of rabbits already, but they love to run and do crazy jumps so having a permanently attached pen allows this freedom which is necessary for a happy bunny. I know my rabbits behaviour/mood/interaction improved vastly when given more space to their living arrangements. The minimum is 2ft x 4ft per bunny excluding exercise space for out of cage time.

          Your daughter can also sit in the pen and bond with your bunny, and therefore she doesn’t have to be picked up or have anyone reaching into her cage to move her (things that can be detrimental).

          I know the pet stores sell things like these cages/corner trays/water bottles and says that’s fine but it really isn’t. At least the cages on their own anyway, some have rabbits that are ok with small boxes and bottles. But these ways are old fashioned and ill informed, rabbits aren’t just bigger hamsters like pet stores have you believe. I switched to water bowls, storage crates for litter boxes and a big NIC condo when I learned this!

          When you say you want to put her in the yard, what is that for? Permanent or just for an hour or two? An xpen would be fine just for a bit whilst you were supervising, but I’d never leave it unattended. Any predator can easily get in, even if your bunny is full grown, especially if you know you have owls nearby! But just keep in mind that not all bunnies enjoy being taken outside. I have two and one loves it being outside but the other is absolutely petrified of it.

          Good luck with expanding her living space, attaching an xpen to the front of the cage with zip ties and using a linoleum floor is the simplest way to do so. I promise you’ll be doing so much for your bunny just by doing this!
          Take a look at the habitats section for ideas https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/GreatHabitats/tabid/229/Default.aspx


        • aadwoods
          Participant
          11 posts Send Private Message

            Outside would just be for an hour or so, just to run and see if she enjoys it. I had just read that many bunnies like the grass and being outside. I would never leave her alone outside or try and keep her outside permenantly.

            Thanks for the feedback. I love the idea of adding a pen attached to the cage. I want to find something VERY sturdy. We don’t allow the dog in the room now, but as Luna gets bigger I would like to move her out to the living areas. I hate the idea of her being secluded like she is, but i don’t trust the dog with her just yet. He’s never been aggresive, but he’s a 95 pound lab and he could hurt her just by stepping on her. So if we do add a pen I want it to be something strong enough that the dog cannot knock it over.

            I was looking at something like this, but I want to make sure I can join two together to give her the maximum amount of space. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Summer-Infant-Playsafe-30-in-Play-Yard-07244/204635146?cm_mmc=shopping-_-googleads-_-pla-_-204635146&ci_sku=204635146&ci_gpa=pla&ci_src=17588969&gclid=CjwKEAjwv9-gBRD5ofn2jd2N0UUSJACcdilswpzAw2wOcmuzUd7GvReCXwlE3wO12ygK8RcI-lQ5iBoC2W_w_wcB


          • litheandgraphic
            Participant
            608 posts Send Private Message

              The only issue with that playpen is that it’s only 30″ high, which is low enough for her to jump over if she desires. I’d recommend looking for something at least 36″ in height. It’s good that you’re considering the dog – one major thing I want to ask: has she seen the dog yet? Some rabbits are extremely scared of dogs by default, so just to be cautious.

              Having said that, the typical x-pens that rabbit owners use are actually designed and built for dogs, so you’d be surprised at how sturdy they are. Once set up, they’re not too easy to knock down. And of course, they’re easier to attach. If you need to, you can simply use zip-ties to attach the ends. Getting two pens, no matter what kind of pen you go with, is an excellent idea. She definitely needs more room to run around.

              One brand I recommend is Midwest, another is Precision Pet. Check out http://www.chewy.com

              – they have awesome prices and their customer service is fantastic.Otherwise just do Google shopping and you’ll find the best prices.

              If you are still concerned, though, then of course you can go with the things that are designed for kids like that one you found, but you’ll just want to make sure it’s at least 36″ high.


            • aadwoods
              Participant
              11 posts Send Private Message

                thanks. I hadn’t looked at the dog pens.

                She has seen the dog. He’s very old and calm. We’ve let him in while she was still in her cage, and she seemed more curious than anything. She loves our cat. We let the cat in and they play for hours. It’s so cute. They play tag. Jo, the cat, is overweight and gets tired much quicker than Luna does. So she will stop and lay down and Luna will run up and jump on her and then run off, and then repeat until the cat gets back up to play!


              • Pipje
                Participant
                73 posts Send Private Message

                  Yes the tall metal dog pens, not the plastic play pens are better. If you zip tie the panels of the pen together then it is REALLY sturdy, especially when zip tied to the cage it stays as one sturdy form that definitely can’t be pushed over.


                • Sindri
                  Participant
                  1515 posts Send Private Message

                    I have 2 xpens from Midwest. I used one attached to one of my rabbits when it was in cage and it worked great. I got the 36 inch high ones. I bought them off of Amazon. The first one I bought was only $35 I think my second one was a bit more.

                    I like Pipje’s idea of using zip ties to secure your pen to the cage it will definitely make it sturdy.


                  • Flopsie
                    Participant
                    388 posts Send Private Message

                      wait can i get an elaboration on the water bottle? I use one that is 32 oz and so far she drinks maybe 4 to 8 oz a day. Are these bad? This is the first I heard of them.

                      i’m not huge on open water because she used to tip them, jump in them, dump food item and overall be naughty


                    • Pipje
                      Participant
                      73 posts Send Private Message

                        No, not bad. Just depends on the bunny. Mine will not drink out of them, at all, and never have. They only get a little trickle of water out of it and it is a completely unnatural way to drink. Drinking out of a bowl is more instinctive to them and they can drink as much as they want in one go. Mine can drink half a bowl easily after eating lots of hay, and when drinking out of a bottle it is much harder for them to do that. Also people use these bottle for the giant breeds, and they barely get any water out relative to their size and needs, large breeds are much better off with bowls.

                        So no, it’s not bad, it’s just that bowls are generally preferred by rabbits themselves because it is a natural and easier way to drink


                      • Flopsie
                        Participant
                        388 posts Send Private Message

                          Oh ok. My bun is about 5.5 pounds and drinks 4 to 5 ounces a day. Not sure if that’s a good amount.

                          I don’t use the bowl because when I first got her I had one and she never drank out of it. I was dive tilt monitoring it and she would barely lap any up. Even after she got spayed I brought the water in a bowl to her mouth and she wouldn’t nudge it away. So I was wondering if there was anything inherently wrong with it outside personal preferences

                      Viewing 9 reply threads
                      • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.

                      Forum HABITATS AND TOYS habitat suggestions